'Rescue Rangers' Review

'Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers', now streaming exclusively on Disney+, is like a Thanksgiving feast for animation fans.

It's a modern-day 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit', with toons, humans, and puppets living together in a world that isn't what it seems on the surface...

The film, directed by The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer, is in no way a reboot of the 90s series, but instead the "real-life" story of how Chip (John Mulaney) met Dale (Andy Samberg) and tells (briefly) of their rise to stardom and their relationship years after the series ended.

It feels odd to hear such distinct celebrity voices from iconic Disney characters, and I was EVENTUALLY able to separate the character from the voice, but it did take a while...

The rest of the Rescue Rangers are here, too: Gadget (Tress McNeille; the only OG voice returning), Monty (Eric Bana), and Zipper (Dennis "The Allstate Guy" Haysbert) but their appearances are definitely less significant than the leading 'munks.

Other character voices include the likes of J.K. Simmons, Flula Borg, Paula Abdul, Seth Rogan, and many more.

From a technical standpoint this film is a HUGE undertaking (and I'm sure a logistical nightmare for Disney's licensing department...) References and cameos abound (Doug Funnie?!) I'm sure I missed plenty in the the HUNDREDS of characters hidden in the background, so I'm already planning a second viewing purely for Easter Egg hunting...

I had a few small issues with the film, but they weren't enough to prevent me from enjoying the movie; through it all it's clearly an love letter to my era of animation, made for fans by fans.

Ch-Ch-Check it out!

GA Ren Fest!

Huzzah!

OUR FIRST CRUISE!

More soon!

Avery

Inside the Disney Archives | Memphis TN Vlog!

Another re-upload/re-edit because I just wasn't happy with the previous version(s)...

Enjoy!

More soon,

Avery

Disneyland Vlog! | November 2021

This is pretty much a re-upload of a previous Vlog, but not really... 

I wasn't totally pleased with the edit the first time around so I made a handful of changes and I'm uploading once again. 

At last, my inner perfectionist can finally rest easy!

More soon,

Avery

Say What?

NEW VIDEO!

More soon, 

Avery

Turning Red Review!

LONG (AND OVERDUE) POST ALERT:

Not even Post-Booster sickness could keep me from a new Pixar movie; we were up early (or late, depending on how messed up YOUR sleep schedule is...) and pressed play at 3 AM when 'Turning Red' was released exclusively on Disney+!

In short, I thoroughly and completely enjoyed the movie; the story feels unique, the character designs are super interesting, and the 2000s nostalgia hit all the right notes. You'll hear no complaints out of me, other than my missing John Ratzenberger's usual Pixar cameo...

But of course, the internet has cooked up a controversy, deeming this movie "inappropriate" for Pixar's usual audience, claiming this female coming-of-age story is "too mature" for DARING to mention puberty...

But despite what you may have read, and other than a few BRIEF (and usually comedic) references, 'Turning Red' is no more explicitly "about periods" than it is about a Tamagotchi.

On the surface 'Turning Red' is a story about a quirky group of 13-year-olds, one who can transform into a giant red panda, and her relationship with her mom. There are themes of community and breaking generational trauma, but VERY little of that has to do with menstruation.

That is, of course, open to individual interpretation... Members of the LGBTQ+ community identified with 'Luca', despite the director basing the story on his own childhood, with no intention of making it a queer story. And one doesn't invalidate the other, stories are what we make them.

I am, unfortunately, a man; so there are subtleties to Mei's story that I may not be privy to, but there's nothing inherently "girly" about this movie.

As much as I love sequels and revisiting old Pixar friends, this recent batch of original stories from the studio have been special, and with 'Lightyear' coming this summer (which somehow checks both boxes) as far as I'm concerned Pixar can do no wrong, and their 27-year success streak continues with 'Turning Red'. 

Period.